With any black market, it's impossible to track the full extent of its reach. One way to estimate the relative quantity of various drugs in the city is to track undercover drug buys and seizures by the police department. This system of measurement, however, is an imperfect science; large busts (see: cocaine, 2009) skew numbers for a particular year, throwing off the curve, and budgetary and tactical considerations can restrict potential drug buys.

Recently, more New Hampshire police departments have been acquiring the controversial armored truck, called the BearCat, causing outrage among some groups concerned about civil liberties and what they see as an increasingly militarized police force. But officers say they increasingly face deadly threats and that these methods help protect them and the public.